Django vs. Laravel: Framework Comparison Guide

In the world of development, frameworks make everything exponentially easier, more reliable, and more repeatable. And just about every programming language has a framework to help simplify the development workflow.

If your development teams focus on either Python or PHP, there are two particular frameworks that are invaluable for web development: Django and Laravel. Django is an open-source Python framework specifically designed for web development that follows the Model-View-Template (MVT) methodology. Laravel is an open-source PHP framework for web development that uses the Model-View-Controller (MVC) methodology.

Both of these frameworks should be considered must-use for these languages. Let’s dive in and compare Django vs. Laravel.

Feature Comparison

Here is a table that lists some of the features found in both Django and Laravel.

What Is Django?

Django is an open-source, high-level framework that is written in Python and follows an MVT architecture for fast development and clean code. Django includes built-in support for the SQLite database and is scalable, flexible, and secure.

Whether you are developing a content management system, social network, news site, or wiki, Django is a great option because it can work with any client-side framework to deliver all types of content.

Django was created in 2003 and was first released on July 21, 2005. The framework was created by Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison, when they started building applications with Python for the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper. The name was inspired by guitarist Django Reinhardt.

The biggest problem Django solves is helping developers to avoid a number of common security mistakes. To do this, Django was created to “do the right things” with the goal of automatically protecting websites.

This particular framework is very widely used, so finding a Django development services company will not be even remotely challenging for any business.

Django Facts

Here are a few quick facts about the Django framework.

Both Django and Python are so prominently used, you’ll find Django development services everywhere.

Advantages / Pros of Django

There are a number of advantages to using the Django framework, such as:

• Advantage 1: Django is backward compatible, so it continues to work with older versions. This means when Django is upgraded, your sites and apps won’t break.
• Advantage 2: Django has a very large and thriving community, where you can find support and documentation.
• Advantage 3: Django is compatible with DevOps methodologies.
• Advantage 4: Django is both Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) and Keep It Simple (KISS) compliant.
• Advantage 5: Django is secure and frequently updated.
• Advantage 6: Django is very simple to learn and implement.

As well, Django is suitable for use with practically any type of project, is very fast, has been used for years, and comes with everything you need to start developing.

Disadvantages / Cons of Django

Although Django is a great framework that is simple to use and flexible, it does have its disadvantages, including the following:

• Disadvantage 1: You must do things the “Django way.”
• Disadvantage 2: Django is not suitable for smaller projects.
• Disadvantage 3: Django lacks conventions most other frameworks rely on.
• Disadvantage 4: Django demands more and more code-oriented programming.

What Companies Use Django?

A number of companies depend on Django, such as the following:

• Instagram
• National Geographic
• Mozilla
• Spotify
• Pinterest
• Disqus
• Bitbucket
• Eventbrite

What Tools Integrate With the Django Framework?

One thing to keep in mind with Django is that it’s considered monolithic in that it contains just about everything you need to get the job done. Even with that, you can integrate Django with tools like Python, MongoDB, and PyCharm.

What Is Laravel?

Laravel is an open-source PHP-based framework that is one of the best for things like server-side processing, HTML authentication, and templating. Laravel follows the MVC architecture to help you build a number of applications and services.

Laravel was initially released in June 2011 by Taylor Otwell to create an alternative to CodeIgniter. Otwell created Laravel to overcome a number of CodeIgniter shortcomings such as the lack of authentication and authorization support.

Thanks to the widespread usage of PHP, locating a Laravel development services company will not be even remotely challenging for you.

Laravel Facts

Here are a few facts about the Laravel framework.

Because of the widespread usage of PHP, you’ll find Laravel development services and Laravel development companies everywhere.

Advantages / Pros of Laravel

The Laravel framework has several advantages that every development team should be aware of, such as:

• • Advantage 1: Laravel includes a built-in authentication and authorization system.
  • Advantage 2: Laravel includes a mail integration system.
  • Advantage 3: Laravel makes use of cached memory for improved performance.
  • Advantage 4: Laravel has outstanding exception handling.
  • Advantage 5: Laravel offers seamless automation testing.
  • Advantage 6: Laravel provides an added layer of security to core PHP via libraries and vetted/secure code.

Laravel also includes security tokens to help prevent third-party and cross-site scripting SQL injections.

Disadvantages / Cons of Laravel

Although Laravel is a great framework, it does have a few disadvantages, such as:

• Disadvantage 1: Laravel includes a potentially high cost for developers.
• Disadvantage 2: Laravel lacks the widespread support that Django enjoys.
• Disadvantage 3: Laravel needs to be constantly updated.
• Disadvantage 4: Laravel isn’t as fast as some other frameworks.

Although Laravel is easy to learn, it is rather difficult to master.

What Companies Use Laravel?

There are a number of companies that depend on the Laravel framework, including the following:

• 9GAG
• Pfizer
• BBC
• PedidosYa
• About You
• Ratio
• TourRadar
• Crowdcube

What Tools Integrate With the Laravel Framework?

You’ll find a number of different tools you can use with Laravel, including:

• PhpStorm (PHP IDE)
• Bitbucket (Git-based source code repository)
• Entrust (software and hardware used to issue financial cards, e-passport production, and user authentication)
• Laravel Debugbar (integrates PHP DebugBar with Laravel)
• Laravel Backup (creates a backup of your application)
• PHP Mess Detector (checks for code smells: awkward, overcomplicated, or unused code)
• PHP_CodeSniffer (style checker)
• PHP Copy/Paste Detector (finds duplicate code)
• Dusk (browser automation tool)

Key Differences Between Django & Laravel Web Development

Some of the differences between Django and Laravel include the following:

• Django is a “battery-included” web framework written in Python, whereas Laravel is a full-stack, open-source framework written in PHP.
• Django supports the MVT architecture, while Laravel supports MVC.
• Django is supported by the Django Software Foundation, and Laravel is supported by a community of developers.
• Django includes a lightweight web server, whereas Laravel makes use of queues and event and command buses to run cron jobs.
• Django is much faster than Laravel.
• Django offers considerably more security than Laravel.
• Django offers no built-in support for API development, whereas Laravel does.

What Does the Future Look Like?

Given how vastly popular both Python and PHP are, Django and Laravel will continue to grow in popularity. As far as the future is concerned, given Python is widely used for AI, the sky’s the limit for Django. This is especially true as more ChatGPT services are built and released. As more and more companies start to depend on AI, you can be certain that Python and Django will be even more in demand.

Django vs. Laravel: The Battle of the Backend Frameworks

If there is one clear winner between Django and Laravel, the nod would have to go to Django. Why is this? The reason is twofold: First, Django’s integration with Python and, by association, AI gives it a heads up. Second, the added security benefits of Django make it a much more viable option for businesses that place a priority on keeping things secure.

When to Use Django

One of the best use cases for Django is in the building of scalable web applications that depend on large amounts of data. Thanks to deep support for database migrations (along with an admin GUI), Django simplifies the workflow with massive troves of data.

When to Use Laravel

Simply put, when you need to build web applications quickly without sacrificing functionality, Laravel is the way to go. And given that it includes features for authentication, routing, sessions, and caching, the apps you can deploy can be feature-rich and user-friendly.